1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a learning support system, and particularly, a learning support system in which learning data are transferred and managed between various information terminals through networks such as Internet. More particularly, this invention relates to an information processing apparatus and portable information terminals which are used in the learning support system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since early times, electronic education systems using the Internet have been developed. For example, there was such a system that an education server and student terminals are connected through the Internet, a student sends data to the education server by inputting data into a form in a home page, and at the side of the education server, the received data is read/written and processed to a file of textual form by a CGI program and thereafter, sent back to the home page to be displayed.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 11(1999)-282826 describes an electronic education system in which student terminals and an education business owner terminal are connected to an electronic education server through the Internet. The electronic education server stores educational contents which are remotely thrown into the electronic education server from the education business owner terminal and provides students tests in the form of a home page based upon the educational contents. Students throw answers and/or inquiries into the tests provided in the form of the home page. The system is capable of providing educational services which correspond to each student in accordance with their learning curves with respect to each student.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-194251 describes a learning support system in which a server having learning material databases storing learning content materials and a plurality of computers having a content browser for obtaining the learning content material and a report editor for supporting preparation of a report by using the obtained material are connected through the Internet.
However, in these precedent systems, it is possible to automatically prepare tests which fit to students by analyzing and compiling answers of students at the server side, but there is a necessity of large capacity to store learning programs and learning data, and a student terminal is limited to a desk-top type personal computer which is placed at home or a notebook type personal computer.
Further, in case that a student carries out learning by use of a portable terminal, functions are limited since its capacity is small, and even in case that a student has both his/her own personal computer and a portable terminal at home, they are not linked with each other for learning. That is, in case that a student carries out learning by using both of a personal computer and a portable terminal, learning is carried out differently and respectively, and even in case that learning is completed by one of the computer and portable terminal, the other may present a test which contains the same contents as the completed one so that effective learning may not be carried out.
Further, in case of learning at home, it is possible to carry out multidirectional learning since learning can be carried out by securing a plenty of time in calm environment and by consulting a text book, but in case of a portable terminal, it is difficult to do the same learning as at home since there may be a case that long and concentrated time can not be secured for example during commute to and from work, and it is suitable to use such time for learning with easy operation such as memorization of words at most.
Furthermore, for example, in case learning is temporarily discontinued, it is advantageous to users if its learning can be continued at a portable terminal by reflecting the result of the at-home learning or halfway out-turn, and conversely, if learning discontinued at a portable terminal can be continued at a home personal computer, it is considered that more effective learning can be carried out.
This invention relates to information processing systems which are used in learning support systems, and particularly, information processing apparatus for preparing a data file of words which are searched by dictionary search or translation software and for learning the words in an information processing terminal such as a personal computer.
Since early times, such a search application software has been marketed that has a function for converting English words or Japanese words, which users have inputted, into Japanese words or English words. Also, such a learning application software has been marketed that has a function for preparing English word learning tests by use of illustrative sentences stored in an electronic dictionary such as English Japanese dictionary or Japanese English dictionary.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 11(1999)-109841 describes a language learning apparatus in which for example, in case that carried out is an operation for converting a letter string of a first language (for example, Japanese) which is inputted, into a letter string of a second language (for example, English), conversion history data comprising the letter strings and word class data relating to the letter strings is stored, and learning tests are prepared by the conversion history data, and the prepared tests are used for users to answer, and thereby, users can learn words which they could not answer.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 9 (1997)-185627 describes an electronic dictionary with a wordbook function which is used for rote learning of words by calling out words in registered order, which words are registered together with their meanings after consulting a dictionary is carried out by inputting spellings of words.
Such an information processing apparatus is designed to store history data in association with an operation for consulting a dictionary in case that an electronic dictionary is consulted for looking up unknown meaning and spelling, and to prepare learning data.
However, precedent learning apparatus simply consults a dictionary for a word which a user inputs, and it is possible to prepare a learning test by use of the word but it is not possible to present a test sentence which corresponds to learning level of a user. That is, learning curb or rote memorization level of a user is not considered.
Further, it is possible to carry out learning by calling out the registered words in various orders (such as registered order or alphabetical order) which users designate, but the number of consulting a dictionary as to the same word or whether it is a word for a user to feel difficulty in memorizing is not considered.
Accordingly, it is not necessarily mean to be able to learn effectively corresponding to learning curbs and intelligibility of users.
Further, this invention relates to portable information terminals and for example, portable type electronic learning apparatus used for learning a language.
Heretofore, as an electronic learning apparatus for learning foreign languages, there is an apparatus in which a word and a sentence of a foreign language are displayed and then, a user (respondent) is asked to input an answer and then, after being judged whether the inputted answer is correct or not, it is displayed and then, if the answer is wrong, a correct answer is displayed. Since, in such an electronic learning apparatus, words and sentences as a test are stored in a memory in advance, a memory of large capacity is necessitated in case that the number of a test is increased.
On the other hand, known is an apparatus having an electronic dictionary in which an index word and its illustrative sentence are extracted in a random order from the electronic dictionary, and the illustrative sentence from which the index word is removed is displayed as a test, and a plurality of index words extracted in a random order from the dictionary are given to a respondent as an option which should be filled in the removed portion (for example, see, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 9(1997)-330011).
However, such an electronic learning apparatus becomes large since a large size memory is necessitated for storing an electronic dictionary.
Further, since an option is extracted in a random order from the dictionary, one which is apparently a wrong answer far from a correct answer is extracted as the option so that there occurs a problem in which it becomes difficult to carry out effective learning.
From such a point, an electronic learning apparatus which is of small size and used as a portable one and effective learning is possible regardless of time and place has been desired since early times.
In the meantime, currently, small size communication terminals with enriched portability such as portable phones are in distinguished widespread use, and miniaturization and weight saving have been advanced, and corresponding to it, communication systems and communication patterns have been extremely progressed.